Two Laboratory employees were contaminated during routine inventory work last Tuesday at the Plutonium Processing Facility at Technical Area 55.
The two workers from Plutonium 238 Science and Engineering (NMT-9) were taking inventory of older cans of plutonium stored in the facility. They had completed inventory of two shelves and monitored themselves for contamination after each, and found none. While inventorying the third shelf, a continuous air-monitor alarm sounded and the pair left the room.
They observed no leaks or other visible defects on the cans they were inventorying.
Radiation control technicians helped the pair remove their protective coveralls and gloves and monitored them for skin and nasal contamination. Preliminary results showed skin contamination on the first employee's head, neck, shoulders and arms, and on the second worker's head. Both showed nasal contamination, an indication that they may have inhaled plutonium.
Following decontamination, both employees were placed on precautionary bioassay and will submit waste samples regularly so that laboratory tests can determine whether plutonium has entered their bodies, and at what levels. Accurate analysis of bioassay tests will require several weeks and could continue for months if plutonium levels warrant it.
Both employees returned to work in nonradiation areas.
"Naturally, we are concerned whenever our workers are contaminated, no matter what the level," said Steve Yarbro, leader of the Nuclear Materials Technology (NMT) Division. "We will work closely with the Department of Energy to understand exactly what happened and take steps to ensure it doesn't recur."
There was no possibility of public exposure. The DOE and other agencies were informed of the incident immediately and DOE has begun an investigation.
NMT-9 manufactures, tests and conducts surveillance of heat sources and radioisotopic thermoelectric generators used to heat and power space probes and for national security applications. It is the only group in the DOE complex that can handle plutonium 238 oxide, metal and solutions in substantial quantities in unencapsulated forms.
